How Rare Ingredients Transform Ordinary Nutrition into Extraordinary Wellness

Embracing rare ingredients promotes dietary diversity, which helps unravel untapped nutritional potential that can fill existing nutritional gaps and promote a well-rounded diet. Rare ingredients are food components or substances that are not found in everyday diets or are less commonly available. They are characterized by their scarcity, uniqueness, or limited distribution, which can be attributed to factors such as unique growing conditions, seasonal availability, unique cultivation methods, and specific growing conditions. These ingredients stand out due to their distinct flavors, textures, and exceptional nutritional profiles. 

In the quest for a mindful and healthy lifestyle, many people are making a shift towards rare ingredients. The idea is that the ingredients may offer additional or specialized nutritional benefits that are otherwise not available in more mainstream foods. 

Laird Superfoods' Unique Approach

At Laird Superfoods, we incorporate rare ingredients into our products to deliver a diverse range of nutrients that promote optimal health. From the rich micronutrient profiles to bioactive compounds like curcumin in turmeric, rare ingredients can help address specific dietary needs as well as enhance the culinary experience through a diversity of flavors, textures, and aromas. We are keen only to use ingredients that contribute to our well-being and steer away from artificial and processed additives. 

Laird Superfoods uses plant-based ingredients that can contribute to health beyond the basic nutritional value. We lean towards ingredients that also have therapeutic potential, such as immune-boosting and neuroprotective properties. Incorporating rare ingredients amplifies our holistic approach to nutrition, ensuring that our products promote overall health and well-being.

Exploring Rare Ingredients 

Awareness of diverse food ingredients can widen your culinary horizon and stimulate healthier food choices. Rare ingredients can include exotic fruits, heirloom varieties of grains, seeds, rare herbs, and spices. 

Lucuma

Lucuma is a delicious fruit derived from the Pouteria lucuma tree that originates from the Andean valleys of Bolivia and Peru in South America. It is mostly cultivated during the summer and is small to medium-sized and oval-shaped. Lucuma has green skin and yellow pulp with a unique and sweet flavor like maple syrup and a creamy texture. If a mango and a date had a love child, Lucuma would be the perfect representation.

This superfruit has an impressive nutritional profile and offers an array of health benefits. It is low in sugar and rich in fiber and antioxidants. Lucuma also contains trace amounts of nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, calcium, fiber, potassium, and iron. Fresh fruit is popular in South America, but dried, powdered form, such as the Morning Jumpstart from Laird Superfood, is more common in the United States.

Benefits associated with Lucuma

• Lucuma is rich in complex carbohydrates that make it effective in inhibiting blood sugar spikes and hypertension linked to Type 2 diabetes. 
• It contains a lot of insoluble dietary fiber that adds bulk to stool and helps clear waste from the digestive system.
• Lucuma is rich in antioxidants like polyphenols and carotenoids that can help improve heart health by lowering blood pressure. 
• This rare ingredient is also packed with vitamin C, which promotes collagen production and protects the skin from UVB rays, promoting healthier skin. It also contains beta carotene, which is an effective antioxidant and has photo-protective properties.

You can add Lucuma into your diet as a substitute for sugar or a flavoring agent. It scores five on the glycemic index, and one tablespoon of lucuma powder contains 75% less sugar than table sugar. As for potential side effects, Lucuma may cause mild hypoglycemia or allergy reactions in some individuals. Consult with your doctor before adding Lucuma to your diet, especially if you have hypoglycemia or any other medical condition.

Baobab Tree Fruit 

The baobab tree is native to certain regions of Africa, Arabia, Australia, and Madagascar. It can live up to 2500 years old. The fruit naturally occurs as a dry powder. The fruit pods dehydrate and harden on the branch, and this process is thought to naturally concentrate the nutrients in the pods to make one of the most nutrient-dense fruits on earth. The pulp, leaves, and seeds of the baobab fruit are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and natural fiber that teem with numerous health benefits, which can all be found in Sleep and Recover by Laird Superfood.

Benefits of the baobab tree fruit

• Baobab is rich in several important vitamins and minerals but is especially high in vitamin C, B6, and essential minerals like potassium, calcium, and iron. This makes it a good source of key nutrition.
• It can aid in weight loss by promoting feelings of fullness and helping curb cravings, ensuring you eat less. It is rich in fiber that most powdered rare ingredients lack, which slows the emptying of your stomach, keeping you feeling full longer.
• Baobab's high fiber content can help balance sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, preventing spikes and crashes.
• Baobab contains bioactive compounds that can help protect body cells from oxidative damage and reduce inflammation. It is packed with antioxidants and polyphenols.
• The potassium levels in baobab fruit range between 1800mg and 2400mg for every 100g, which, when ingested in combination with water, help the body to rehydrate more efficiently.

Most people can safely consume baobab without any side effects. There is, however, limited research on its impact on pregnant and breastfeeding women.  

Cordyceps 

Cordyceps is a potent adaptogenic whose use dates back to Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it has been used for centuries to treat fatigue, kidney disease, and low sex drive. Research shows that it has adaptogenic properties, which help modulate the body's stress response and enhance overall resilience. It also has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Laid Superfood uses cordyceps mushroom extracts in their Instant Lattes and Performance Mushrooms that can be added to tea, coffee, and other favorite recipes.

Benefits of cordyceps

• Cordyceps may boost exercise performance by increasing the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is essential for delivering energy to muscles.
• It contains antioxidants that fight cell damage and neutralize free radicals that otherwise contribute to disease and aging.
• Cordyceps has shown the potential to slow the growth of tumors and may also reverse the side effects associated with various forms of cancer therapy.
• This rare ingredient shows the potential to protect insulin-making beta cells, which can help in the management of diabetes. 
• It is a powerful adaptogen with anti-fatigue and anti-stress properties that improve the body's response to physical and mental stress.

Aquamin 

Aquamin is a multi-mineral complex that is derived from the marine algae Lithothamnion calcareum seaweed species. It offers a wide range of benefits that range from bone to joint and hydration, which can be found in Hydrate Coconut Water. The ingredient has a rich nutritional profile of highly bioavailable calcium, magnesium, and more than 72 additional trace minerals that it accumulates and stores from seawater into its cell walls as it grows. It is commonly used as an ingredient in dietary supplements, functional foods, and beverages.

Benefits of aquamin 

• Aquamin supports bone health by providing bioavailable calcium alongside other essential minerals that are required for bone structure and density. It also promotes joint health by reducing inflammation and supporting connective tissues.
• This unique algae contains probiotic properties that support and maintain a healthy gut microbiota.
• It helps maintain healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
• Some of the compounds in aquamin have anti-inflammatory properties to help reduce chronic inflammation in the body.
• Minerals present in aquamin, such as iron, help in energy production processes, which helps to combat fatigue and promote vitality.

Tart Cherry Powder 

The tart cherry powder is made by grinding dried tart cherries into a fine powder. Tart cherries are also known as sour cherries and are a variety of cherries with a tangy and sour flavor. In its powder form, tart cherries are used as a dietary supplement due to their potential health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which have been linked to several health-promoting effects. These include reducing inflammation, supporting joint health, and improving sleep quality. 

Benefits of tart cherry powder

• It has anti-inflammatory effects that could be beneficial to conditions that involve chronic inflammation, such as arthritis. The anti-inflammatory effects are also helpful for reducing inflammation from intense workouts, aiding in workout recovery, and relieving or preventing muscle soreness.
• The tart cherry powder is rich in antioxidant properties that help reduce oxidative stress and protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
• Tart cherry juice or powder contains flavonoids that boost the immune system by fighting off viruses and bacteria.
• Tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin and tryptophan, amino acids that help regulate the sleep-wake cycles. Sleep and Recover carries these calming benefits to help you unplug and get a good night's sleep naturally.
• The high-antioxidant flavonoids in tart cherry improve cognitive functioning by boosting learning and short-term memory capabilities.

Turmeric 

Turmeric, also known as Indian saffron or the golden spice, is a plant that grows in Asia and Central America. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine and is primarily cultivated from the rhizomes of roots. Its characteristic vibrant yellow color is attributed to the presence of the primary active compound, curcumin. Curcumin also takes credit for most of the nutritional properties and health benefits turmeric offers. 

Benefits of turmeric

• Turmeric contains anti-inflammatory properties and is a very strong oxidant.
• The curcumin in turmeric can help improve the health of the thin membrane that lines the inside of the heart and blood vessels. The membrane has a role in regulating blood pressure. Improving its function ensures control over blood pressure, blood clotting, and other heart-related conditions.
• Curcumin plays a role in the treatment and prevention of a variety of cancer types.
• Turmeric properties may help treat and prevent diabetes and other associated disorders like diabetic nephropathy.
• Curcumin can help delay or reverse the signs of Alzheimer's disease.

You can enjoy the benefits of this rare ingredient in the Turmeric Superfood Creamer, which can be mixed with coffee, teas, and smoothies or used for baking.

Purslane 

Purslane is a wild weed native to the Indian sub-continent but is now distributed widely across the continents. Different varieties of the weed exist, with variations in leaf size, thickness, leaf arrangement, and pigment distribution. Purslane requires relatively less water and soil nutrients and grows very well in sunny climates. For more than 4000 years, it has been used as food and a medicinal plant.

Today, purslane is considered one of the healthiest plants available as it is packed with a chock full of vitamins and minerals. It can be used as a garnish or in salads and has a fresh, sour taste.

Benefits of purslane

• It is mostly made up of water and consists of very few calories, which makes it a great choice for those trying to manage their weight.
• Purslane's fresh leaves contain more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant. Foods high in omega can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and other developmental problems.
• It is an excellent source of vitamin A, which supports good vision.
• It contains calcium and magnesium, which play a key role in building and maintaining strong and healthy bones.

Lion's Mane Mushroom

This is an edible mushroom from the tooth fungus family that grows on trunks of dead hardwood trees. It has a long history of use in East Asian for culinary and medicinal purposes. Lion's mane is linked to several nutritional and health benefits. It is rich in a specific type of carbohydrate called oligosaccharides that plays a role in many critical biological functions, including antioxidative and antitumor activities. The mushroom also exhibits immune stimulating functions.

Benefits of lion's mane mushrooms

• Lion's mane mushroom contains hericenones and erinacines that have neuroprotective abilities. These plant compounds can help generate new brain cells and protect against neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
• It contains antioxidants that help fight inflammation and oxidation in the body.
• Promotes better gut health by stimulating the intestinal immune system and regulating gut bacteria.
• Lion's mane mushroom affects brain activity and nervous system regulation, which can help reduce depression, mood, and sleep disorders.
• It is a rich source of potassium, an essential mineral in kidney and heart function, as well as muscle contraction and nerve transmission.  

You can get the goodness of lion's mane mushrooms from PERFORM Functional Mushroom Coffee and Original Protein Powder from Laird Superfood.

Laird Superfoods' Commitment to Quality 

No particular food can instantly nourish your body and get you in overall good health. It takes consistency and great discipline to work your way to a diet that not only fulfills the necessary nutritional requirements but also fuels your body to be at its best. Laird Superfoods helps you discover a world of clean and unique ingredients loaded with natural plant-powered benefits. We sustainably source ingredients from around the world to bring you products with a positive impact on your health, energy, and performance. Our products are versatile and taste great without the need for artificial additives. 

Conclusion

Laird Superfoods is on a mission to explore the potential benefits that lie within some of nature's rarest ingredients. Our goal is to optimize every aspect of your well-being through thoughtfully blended products that are functional and taste great, too. We do not use artificial flavors, colors, or chemical substances. All our flavor is sourced from planet Earth's superfoods like turmeric, reishi mushrooms, cordyceps, and coconut.